Morning Briefing
For May 20, 2013
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1. The tax reform moment
Rupert Murdoch took some heat for observing on Twitter, “Growing IRS scandal makes perfect case for flat tax and abolition all deductions. Nothing could be fairer and abuse free.”
Several responses took Murdoch to task because the abusive treatment of certain groups applying for tax-exempt status, based on their politics, doesn’t have any direct relationship with the progressive income tax system, or plans to replace it.
But if I might be a bit more charitable to Murdoch, I think he was trying to make the broader case that a Flat Tax system would greatly reduce the size and power of the IRS. If his suggestion is taken literally, and all deductions are abolished, it follows that no one would be applying for any sort of tax-exempt status at all. One of the complaints raised by the groups targeted in the IRS scandal is that it put them at a competitive disadvantage against liberal groups, which sailed right through the Tax Exempt Organizations unit and secured approval in a matter of weeks – even when they were actually violating tax law at the time, as in the case of the Barack H. Obama Foundation, run by the President’s half-brother. This isn’t just a scandal about those who were given a hard time; it’s also about those who weren’t. . . . please click here for the rest of the post →
2. Obama’s Travesty of Leadership: The News Media Share Culpability
The Wall Street Journal’s Peggy Noonan has correctly characterized the Obama administration’s Benghazi and IRS scandals for what they are: gross failures of leadership that ultimately include a bold—even boastful—policy of criminal activity (my words, not hers).
But the Washington Post’s Richard Cohen jeered at conservatives’ concerns about Benghazi, and the Columbia Journalism Review’s Ryan Chittum said Noonan has “lost it”.
She has no evidence, said Chittum.
No, Mr. Chittum. Dan Rather had no evidence. But don’t take my word for it. Ask Dan Rather and, like Dan Rather, get another career because you’re part of the problem.
News media companies can point their fingers at the Obama administration all they want. It’s suddenly all the rage, even among characteristically leftist writers and broadcasters. But to really root out the problem, the news media must point their fingers at themselves. . . . please click here for the rest of the post →
3. Immigration, Wages, and Free Markets
All conservatives and libertarians agree that government should not set wage requirements on private enterprise. That would violate the foundation of a free market economy. But should industries and special interest groups get to use the power of government to tilt our immigration system in a way that will actively depress wages? Is that free market doctrine?
I’ve been looking to find someone to come out to my house and do an assortment of outdoor work on gutters, downspouts, and siding. I can do most of the work myself, but some of the repairs need to be done in precarious positions that would require me to place a ladder on steep ground. The problem is that nobody will come out for a half days’ work for less than a few hundred dollars. In light of this “labor shortage” I plan to petition the government to flood the country with poor people from rough areas in the world. They will do any job for 10 bucks. Why shouldn’t we solve the “labor shortage” in this manner? . . . please click here for the rest of the post →
4. IRS targeted the Leadership Institute
I worked at the Leadership Institute in Arlington for a little more than four years; it was my first job out of college and one of the most important times of my career. I learned a tremendous amount about the conservative movement, the nature of coalitions, and how political technology was philosophically neutral. I also learned about character and left with a hero: Morton Blackwell. Today, I’m proud to be a Leadership Institute donor, and readily recommend LI to every young conservative I meet.
All that is to say, the news that the IRS targeted LI is absolutely outrageous. . . . please click here for the rest of the post →
5. White House: All Americans Can Opt-Out Of ObamaCare
Believe it or not, RedStaters, the White House has just announced that every American with private health insurance can opt-out of ObamaCare!
Yes. In a response to my petition on the White House website, the administration states very clearly:
“If you currently have private health insurance, you should be able to keep it, and that’s exactly what the health care law says. It’s not a question of opting out of health reform — the idea that individuals who like their insurance should keep it is a central part of the law.”
The White House repeats their assurance that no American with private insurance will be forced to join an ObamaCare exchange. . . . please click here for the rest of the post →
6. Finally, A Bi-Partisan Solution on Term Limits
Many in our country and in the districts we represent feel that Congress is out of touch and that members are more focused on re-election than on providing real solutions to our nation’s biggest challenges. We hear from constituents all the time that there is a lack of urgency and focus when it comes to solving our country’s toughest issues like tackling the deficit and putting policies in place that will lead to economic growth. . . . please click here for the rest of the post →
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